The Punter's In-Play Blog: Two tied at the top in Mauritius

• Early start to round four

• Gerard heads the market as he bids to get to Augusta

• Defending champ looking to win from off the pace again

20:00 - December 20, 2025

After a brilliant nine-under-par 63 around La Réserve Golf Links, the world number 57, Ryan Gerard, has joined Casey Jarvis at the top of the Mauritius Open leaderboard and he's the man to beat with a round to go. Here's the 54-hole leaderboard with prices to back at 19:50.

Ryan Gerard -16 2.767/4
Casey Jarvis -16 3.5551/20
Alex Levy -15 9.617/2
Jayden Scheper -14 4.94/1
Manuel Elvira -12 65.064/1
John Parry -11 55.054/1
-11 and 130.0129/1 bar

Pre-event 27.026/1 chance, Ryan Gerard, who got off the mark on the PGA Tour at the Barracuda Championship in July, has made the lengthy trip from the US to Mauritius in an attempt to finish the year inside the top 50 in the Official World Rankings in order to get an invite to Augusta in April next year.

Every birdie of Ryan Gerard's six under par back nine to tie the lead #AfrAsiaBankMauritiusOpen pic.twitter.com/afTi4uSqRJ

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 20, 2025

The 26-year-old has never played in the US Masters before, and a victory here would move him up in to the top 50.

"That's the reason I flew a long way to come here and hopefully punch a ticket to the Masters. That's the goal," he said.

"Competing in pressure situations are the most fun you can have as a professional golfer. I'm someone who loves competing and hates losing. If I win, I'm sure I'll have a chance to go and play at Augusta National come April."

He sounds bullish and so he should be.

Gerard was tied for the lead with a round to go before winning the Barracuda in July and prior to that, he'd converted two of four clear 54-hole leads, one on the Canadian Tour and one on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Having backed Jarvis at halfway, I'm going to leave the event alone now and see what tomorrow brings but I'm not too confident and the next three in the betting all have strong claims.

Trailing by just one, the five time DP World Tour winner, Alex Levy, who needs to win to secure his playing privileges for 2026, will feel as though he has nothing to lose tomorrow, last week's winner, Jayden Schaper, is in the form of his life, and the defending champ, John Parry, knows how to win from off the pace. He trails by five, but he was five back with 18 to play at Mont Choisy Le Golf 12 months ago before going on to win by two.

The forecast doesn't look awful tomorrow but they're playing in three-balls and starting early with the final three-ball teeing off at 9:25 local time, which is 5:25 in the UK.

14:10 - December 19, 2025

We've reached the halfway stage of the Mauritius Open and pre-event 44.043/1 chance, Casey Jarvis, leads by two. Here's the 36-hole leaderboard with prices to back at 13:50.

Casey Jarvis -12 3.412/5
Alex Levy -10 12.011/1
Manuel Elvira -9 16.015/1
Brandon Stone -8 16.531/2
Ryan Gerrard -7 15.014/1
Dylan Frottelli -7 42.041/1
Herman Loubser -7 50.049/1
Jayden Scheper -6 11.010/1
John Parry -6 21.020/1
-6 and 36.035/1 bar

Last week's winner and the pre-event favourite, Jayden Schaper, was matched at as low as 2/13.00 during his second round today after he'd birdied three holes in-a-row from the fifth.

Trailing the earlier starter, Jarvis, who had already signed for a seven-under-par 65, by five strokes, Schaper still had plenty of holes to play to close the gap but after last week's win, it probably wasn't hugely surprising to see the 24-year-old run out of steam a bit on the back nine.

Casey Jarvis takes the solo lead in Mauritius after a second-round 65 (-7)

He currently leads by two shots at -12.#AfrAsiaBankMauritiusOpen pic.twitter.com/mn0xvv7j6u

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 19, 2025

He made a great par save on the par three 11^th after a dropped shot on the 10^th but after a birdie at the par five 12^th, a lost ball on the par five 15^th really hampered his challenge, and he has his work cut out to close the gap of six over the weekend.

No doubt inspired by Schaper's victory in Joburg last week, Jarvis has a great chance to emulate his fellow countryman and get off the mark on the DP World Tour one week after Schaper achieved the feat.

Although only 22, and two years younger than Schaper, Jarvis is already an accomplished performer, and he won back-to-back Sunshine Tour events as recently as last month.

He won the Euram Bank Open on the HotelPlanner Tour last July having led by one at halfway and he was leading by one at the Hyundai Open at this stage last month before going on to win. He was trailing by one at halfway when he won again two weeks later.

This is a step up but there's no reason to think he can't kick on and convert, and he looks a fair price at anything over 2/13.00.

I'm kicking myself for not backing Alex Levy before the off as he finished fourth at Al Mouj back in 2018 and that's a track I highlighted in the preview as one that correlates with this one (same designer). And I also mentioned that the French have a good record in Mauritius.

He was a juicy price at 350.0349/1 before the off but playing on a sponsors invite and with no playing privileges on the DP World Tour this season, he's going to be under plenty of pressure over the weekend.

His bogey-free six-under-par 66 was a great knock today but he chipped in on the eighth and he holed this lengthy birdie putt at 17 so he certainly got the most out of his round today.

Alex Levy is now just two shots off the lead#AfrAsiaBankMauritiusOpen pic.twitter.com/k2l6fvMNNc

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 19, 2025

A stroke behind Levy and three off the lead, Manuel Elvira looks opposable and the dangers probably lurk further down the leaderboard.

Brandon Stone, who was beaten in a playoff at Al Mouj in 2020, looks like a threat.

The South African, who trails by four in fourth, has just switched to a long putter and it seems to be working, and two of the three men tied for fifth and five adrift command plenty of respect too.

The 2017 Mauritius Open winner, Dylan Fritteli, and Ryan Gerrard, have both won on the PGA Tour and we certainly can't rule out the defending champ, John Parry, who sits alongside Schaper in the group tied for eighth, but all things considered, I like the leader at almost 5/23.50 and I was more than happy to chance him.

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